A method and apparatus are provided for playing a one player video game of chance. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of items that until selected by the one player occupy a set of non-selected items, displaying an indicia of a winning combination of items present within the plurality of items in advance of selection of any item of the plurality of items by the one player, enabling the one player to select at least some of the plurality of items for inclusion in a set of selected items, wherein at least one other of the plurality of items remains within the set of non-selected items and displaying the items within the set of selected and non-selected items.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A single user video gaming apparatus for playing a game of chance involving a plurality of items selectable by the single user wherein when the game of video poker begins, each item has at least one characteristic that is unknown to the user, the apparatus comprising: selection means for allowing the single user to select at least one item from the plurality of items for inclusion in a set of selected items, wherein for a duration of the game of chance the plurality of items is a predetermined subset of a set of items where the subset contains less than all but at least a minimum number of items in the set that is statistically certain to contain at least one winning combination, wherein at least one other of the plurality of items thereafter occupies a set of non-selected items and thereby is no longer in play in the game of video poker; and revealing means for revealing to the single user the unknown characteristic of at least one item in the set of selected items and the unknown characteristic of at least one item in the set of non-selected items to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset did, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination.
2. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the game of chance further comprises one of the group including Poker, Draw Poker, five-card Stud Poker, seven-card Stud Poker and Caribbean Stud Poker.
3. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 2 further comprising defining the items as cards, the set of selected items as a set of selected cards, and the set of non-selected items as a set of non-selected cards.
4. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 3 wherein the subset further comprises thirteen cards.
5. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 2 wherein each card further comprises a characteristic face value and wherein face value is the characteristic unknown to the user when the game of chance begins.
6. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the face value further comprises a value and a suit.
7. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 3 wherein the game of chance further comprises a rule allowing the user to draw at least one card for a hand, and wherein the hand includes the set of selected cards that the user selected via the selection means.
8. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 7 wherein the hand further comprises at least one additional card not selected by the user via the selection means.
9. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 8 wherein the revealing means further comprises means for receiving payment from the user for playing the game of chance.
10. A method of playing a game of chance by a single player involving a plurality of items selectable by the single player, wherein when the game of video poker begins, each item has at least one characteristic that is unknown to the single player, the method comprising the steps of: allowing the single player to select at least one item from the plurality of items for inclusion in a set of selected items, where for a duration of the game of chance the plurality of items is a predetermined subset of a set of items where the subset contains less than all but at least a minimum number of items in the set that is statistically certain to contain at least one winning combination, wherein at least one other of the plurality of items thereafter occupies a set of non-selected items and thereby is no longer in play in the game of video poker; and revealing to the single player via a video display the unknown characteristic of at least one item in the set of selected items and the unknown characteristic of at least one item in the set of non-selected items to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset did, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination.
11. The method of playing the game of chance as in claim 10 wherein the game of chance further comprises one of the group including Poker, Draw Poker, five-card Stud Poker, seven-card Stud Poker and Caribbean Stud Poker.
12. The method of playing the game of chance as in claim 10 further comprising defining the items as cards, the set of selected items as a set of selected cards, and the set of non-selected items as a set of non-selected cards.
13. The method of playing the game of chance as in claim 12 wherein the subset further comprises thirteen cards.
14. The method of playing the game of chance as in claim 12 wherein each card further comprises a characteristic face value and wherein face value is the characteristic unknown to the user when the game of chance begins.
15. The method of playing the game of chance as in claim 14 wherein the face value further comprises a value and a suit.
16. The method of playing the game of chance as in claim 12 wherein the game of chance further comprises a rule allowing the user to draw at least one card for a hand, and wherein the hand includes the set of selected cards that the user selected via the selection means.
17. The method of playing the game of chance as in claim 16 wherein the hand further comprises at least one additional card not selected by the user via the selection means.
18. The method of playing the game of chance as in claim 17 wherein the revealing means further comprises means for receiving payment from the user for playing the game of chance.
19. A single user video gaming apparatus for playing a game of chance involving a plurality of items selectable by the single user wherein when the game of video poker begins, each item has at least one characteristic that is unknown to the single user, the apparatus comprising: a processor; a storage device coupled to the processor; a selection means for allowing the single user to select at least one item from the plurality of items for inclusion in a set of selected items, where for a duration of the game of chance the plurality of items is a predetermined subset of a set of items where the subset contains less than all but at least a minimum number of items in the set that is statisically certain to contain at least one winning combination, wherein at least one other of the plurality of items thereafter occupies a set of non-selected items and thereby is no longer in play in the game of video poker; and revealing means for revealing to the single user the unknown characteristic of at least one item in the set of selected items and the unknown characteristic of at least one item in the set of non-selected items to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset did, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination.
20. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 19 wherein the game of chance further comprises one of the group including Poker, Draw Poker, five-card Stud Poker, seven-card Stud Poker and Caribbean Stud Poker.
21. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 20 further comprising defining the items as cards, the set of selected items as a set of selected cards, and the set of non-selected items as a set of non-selected cards.
22. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 21 wherein the subset further comprises thirteen cards.
23. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 20 wherein each card further comprises a characteristic face value and wherein face value is the characteristic unknown to the user when the game of chance begins.
24. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 23 wherein the face value further comprises a value and a suit.
25. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 21 wherein the game of chance further comprises a rule allowing the user to draw at least one card for a hand, and wherein the hand includes the set of selected cards that the user selected via the selection means.
26. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 25 wherein the hand further comprises at least one additional card not selected by the user via the selection means.
27. The single user video gaming apparatus as in claim 26 wherein the revealing means further comprises means for receiving payment from the user for playing the game of chance.
28. A single user computer-based system for playing a game of video poker involving a plurality of items selectable by the single user wherein when the game of video poker begins, each item has at least one characteristic that is unknown to the single user, the system comprising: a processing unit coupled with a storage; a first set of instructions storable in the storage and executable by the processing unit for allowing the single user to select at least one item from the plurality of items for inclusion in a set of selected items, where for a duration of the game of video poker the plurality of items is a predetermined subset of a set of items where the subset contains less than all but at least a minimum number of items in the set that is statistically certain to contain at least one winning combination, wherein at least one other of the plurality of items thereafter occupies a set of non-selected items and thereby is no longer in play in the game of video poker; a second set of instructions storable in the storage and executable by the processing unit for revealing to the single user the unknown characteristic of at least one item in the set of selected items and at least one item in the set of non-selected items; and a display operably coupled to the processor and adapted to display the revealed at least one item in the set of selected items and at least one item in the set of non-selected items to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset did, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination.
29. A single user computer program stored in a storage for causing a computer to play a game of video poker involving a plurality of items selectable by the single user wherein when the game of video poker begins, each item has at least one characteristic that is unknown to the single user, the computer program comprising a storage having encoded therein: a first set of computer-executable program code to cause the computer of the game of video poker to allow the single user to select at least one item from the plurality of items for inclusion in a set of selected items, where for a duration of the game of video poker the plurality of items is a predetermined subset of a set of items where the subset contains less than all but at least a minimum number of items in the set that is statistically certain to contain at least one winning combination, wherein at least one other of the plurality of items thereafter occupies a set of non-selected items; a second set of computer-executable program code to cause the computer of the game of video poker to reveal to the single user the unknown characteristic of at least one item in the set of selected items and at least one item of the non-selected items; and a display operably coupled to the computer of the game of video poker and adapted to display the revealed at least one item in the set of selected items and at least one item in the set of non-selected items to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset did, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination.
30. A single user computer-based system for playing video poker involving a plurality of items selectable by the single user wherein when the game of video poker begins, each item has at least one characteristic that is unknown to the single user, the system comprising: a processing unit of the game of video poker coupled with a storage containing a first set of instructions executable by the processing unit for allowing the single user to select at least one of the items for inclusion in a set of selected items, where for a duration of the game of video poker the plurality of items is a predetermined subset of a set of items where the subset contains less than all but at least a minimum number of items in the set that is statistically certain to contain at least one winning combination, and a second set of instructions executable by the processing unit for revealing to the user the unknown characteristic of at least one item in the set of selected items and at least one item in a set of non-selected items; and a display of the game of video poker operably coupled to the processing unit and adapted to display the revealed at least one item in the set of selected items and at least one item in the set of non-selected items to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset did, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination.
31. A storage containing software for playing a single user game of video poker involving a plurality of items selectable by the single user wherein when the game of video poker begins, each item has at least one characteristic that is unknown to the single user, the storage comprising means for allowing the single user to select at least one item from the plurality of items for inclusion in a set of selected items, where for a duration of the game of video poker the plurality of items is a predetermined subset of the a of items where the subset contains less than all but at least a minimum number of items in the set that is statistically certain to contain at least one winning combination, wherein at least one other of the plurality of items thereafter occupies a set of non-selected items and thereby is no longer in play in the game of video poker; and means for revealing to the single user the unknown characteristic of at least one item in the set of selected items and at least one item in the set of non-selected items to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination to thereby demonstrate to the single user that the plurality of items of the subset did, in fact, contain the at least one winning combination.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 12, 2002
May 29, 2007
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